“We continue to pray for the Ukrainian people, that the Lord will give them comfort and hope.”
Pope Francis made that appeal on Sunday as he spoke to pilgrims gathered in St Peter’s Square for the Angelus prayer.
The Pope also recalled that he had sent Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity, to Ukraine to visit various communities and “offer concrete witness to the closeness of the Pope and the Church.”
The Holy See Press Office announced the Polish-born Cardinal’s fourth visit to the country on Wednesday. He will travel to the cities of Odessa, Žytomyr, Kharkiv and other places in eastern Ukraine.
Pope Francis’ appeal comes as the situation at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant continues to worry international experts.